1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to the field of portable flash drives and particularly to portable drives with swivel caps and methods for manufacturing thereof.
2. Description of the Related Art
Universal serial bus (USB) flash drives represent one type of portable flash devices that are available in various shapes and forms. Conventional pen-type USB flash drives typically include a flash memory device and a controller that are disposed in a protective housing, and are operably connected to a USB plug connector that extends from a front end of the housing. Conventional pen-type USB flash drives typically include a removable cap (cover) that is screwed or otherwise temporarily attached to a front end of the housing over the plug connector when the flash drive was not in use. To expose the USB plug connector for connection to a host device such as a personal computer (PC), a user manually removes the cap and either held the cap or mounted it on the back end of the housing, and then replaces the cap over the plug connector after the desired operation was completed. A problem with these convention pen-type flash devices is that the removable cap can become inadvertently lost while the device is in use, thereby leaving the USB plug connector exposed to damage or contamination.
Based on the above-mentioned industry experience with convention pen-type USB flash drives, it is apparent that next-generation USB flash drives needs a cap/cover that remains attached to the devices housing during operation in order to prevent loss that can result in damage or contamination of the plug connector. In addition, the packaging style and shape of the next-generation USB flash drives needs to be aesthetically pleasing to generate additional interest and enthusiasm for purchasing and using the device over similar devices, and needs a relatively short and compact configuration that is light and may therefore be easily carried around by the user, for example, on a key chain. Perhaps most importantly, the desired next-generation USB flash drive must have minimal manufacturing and assembly costs in order to provide the desired functionality and aesthetic appeal at a low cost to the consumer.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,926,544 describes a conventional swivel-type flash device including a rotary cover that is rotatably attached to the device's case (housing) such that cover can be rotated into a closed position in which the device's USB plug connector is received in an inner space of the cover, or rotated into an open position such that the plug connector is exposed for connection to a host system. The cover is defined by a pair of parallel plate members facing each other with an interval corresponding to the thickness of the case, and the flat parallel plate members have a pair of hinge holes joined to a hinge protuberances that extend from the walls of the case. A locking mechanism, which is provided by a closing part that extends between the parallel plates of the rotary cover and engages a protuberance, is provided to prevent rotation of the cover out of the closed position.
Although the conventional swivel-type flash device of U.S. Pat. No. 6,926,544 addresses the “cap/cover loss” desirable feature of next-generation flash devices in that the rotary cover remains attached to the case during both periods of operation and non-operation, it arguably does not address other desirable features associated with next-generation flash drive devices. First, because the rotary cover is formed by thin, flat parallel plate members and the amount of material surrounding the hinge holes is narrow, the rotary cover is susceptible to breakage at the hinge holes, thereby increasing the chance of undesirable separation of the rotary cover from the case. Second, the hinge protuberances necessarily extend from the outside surfaces of the parallel plate members, making the device somewhat bulky and aesthetically unattractive. Further, the locking mechanism disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 6,926,544 both increases the material and manufacturing costs of the conventional flash device, and also makes the device undesirably long. That is, the closing part of the rotary cover and the hinge protuberances formed on the case increase both material cost and manufacturing costs (e.g., because the closing part acts as a stiffening flange that resists outward bending of the cover during assembly). Also, in order to align the rotary cover with the case in the fully open position, the length of the rotary cover must be made long enough to provide sufficient clearance for the case to pass under the closing part, further increasing material costs.
What is needed is a portable flash drive that addresses the cap-loss problem associated with conventional flash drives. What is particularly needed is a swivel-type portable flash drive that overcomes the problems associated with conventional swivel-type devices set forth above.